Supporting device for vehicle-tops.



J; R. THOMAS. l SUPPORTING DEVICE POR VEHICLE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1912.' 1,044,427; Patented Nov. 12,1912.

JJM

y shown in Fig. 1.

JESSE n.. friioivtas, or CARTHAGE,

MISSOURI, ASSIsNoR 'ro naann'rrn cANroN, oHIo.

rr. s'rEINnn, or

surron'rme DEVICE ron VEHICLE-mors.

Specication of Letters Eatent.4

Patented item12. 1912.

`Atpp1oaconfiled. April 18, 1912. Serial No. 691,641.

all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Jnssn R. .THoMAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carthage, in the county of Jasper and. State of Missouri, have invented new and useful improvements in Supporting Devices for Vehicle-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My .invention relates to novel and improved means for supporting and maintaining in a collapsed positionI the bows of the tops for vehicles.

For the purpose of illustration, l have, in the accompanying drawings, shown and herein described one form of device embodying my invention. n

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle, ind a supporting device embodying my inrention, as applied thereto to support and clamp the bows of its top.l Fig. 2 is a. side elevation of the supporting device, enlarged supporting and clamping a set of bows, a v)ortion o-f the latter being shown in folded 'zsition. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the parts'sho-wn in Fig. i2, the bows being shown in cross sectibn.-

ln the drawings, 1 indicates a vehicle which may be of any Suitable or preferred construction. j Q- indicates the top thereof supported in a well known manner by sets o-f bows 2a that may be folded or collapsed into the position 3 indicates brackets or arms extending from the opposite sides of the vehicle (only one bracket being shown in the drawings) and fixed thereto in any suitable way. rl`he bracket 3 is preferably round in cross section. v

' 4 indicates a sleeve or collar slidably fitting the bracket 3 and' arranged to be adjusted laterally thereon toward and from the vehicle 1 and also rotatably, a set screw ta being provided to secure the sleeve or collar 4. in its adjusted position on the bracket 3.

indicates a seat, preferably elongated, extending transversely with respect to the sleeve 4;. The seat is preferably formed integral with the collar 4. It may be of concave formation to prevent lateral displacenient of the lowermost bow 2a.

At 5a, the seat 5 maybe provided with a 'protective covering of felt. or leather which forms a cushionelike surface and prevents injury to the enamel of the adjacent bow.

vside ofthe sleeve 5 6 indicates a pair of reinforcing members preferably comprisingv L-shaped rods, one arranged on either side of the sleeve a. As shown, the opposite ends of each rod 6 are secured to the sleeve 4 and seat. 5, one arm of the rod extending horizontally in a direction longitudinally of the seat from the sleeve to a point more or less near the adjacent end of theseat 5. In the preferred vform of the invention the rods 6 are formed integrall v..\vith the sleeve and seat.

7 indicates a strap adapted to tightly clamp the bows 2 to the seat 5 to overcome relative movement between them and the vehicle l, especially when the'latter is trav-y ersing a rough road. One end o-f the strap 7 is loosely hinged or connected in a well known manner to the horizontal arm of one of the strengthening rods G. The strap is formed with the usual openings 7a, any one of which is arranged to engage a pin or stud 9 projecting from the seat 5. From the rod 7 the strap extends up one side of the folded bows and then over the uppermost bow, and down on the opposite side of the b'ows where it is connected to the stud 9 in the manner illustrated in the drawings.

The stud 9 may be bent or inclined downl wardly to insure againstaccidental displacement of the strap. The strap 7 may be made of such length to permit it to be wrapped around the bows one or more times. The stud 9'is preferably arranged on the opposite to that side to is pivotally connected. has engaged the stud 9, be extended through the opening between the seat and the adjacent rod 6, the latter serving in this manner to maintain the strap in engagement with the stud 9.v

To those skilled in the art of making de- I vices of the class described, many alterations in construction `and widely differing embodi ments and applications of my invention will suggest themselves, 'without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. My disclosures and the description herein are purelyillustrat-ive, and arenot intended to be in any sense limiting. j .1

It will be seen from theforegoing description that I have provided a simple form of bow rest and clamping means, the seat member of which is connected directly to andformed integral with a sleeve or collar which the strap After the stra-p 7 its free end may that is adjusta Vehicle, and forwardly and and is provided with a direction lon are connectedat the1r seat to reii 1er be seen t one end of the bo tional means beimD the strap to the d What I claim is In a` device of the described, the

ing its opposite ends connected to the sleeve and seat, one arm ot'i'eaeh L-shaped rod ex- 'M tending" from the sleeve horizontally in a direction longitudinally of the" scat to a point nearits adjacent 'free end and 'the other arm of the rod extending from the ,seat

1n a vertical direction, a strap having one end loosely pivoted on one L-shaped rod and arranged to extend over the bows when the lat-ter are folded on said seat, and a stud to which the opposite end of the strap is de- .tachably connected, the said stud being car- 5 ried by the seat. and arranged between the 4vertical arm of the other L-shaped rod and combination with a ranged at one de of a vehicle, of

a collar or sleeve adaid bracket, means for sleeve to the bracket n, a seat mounted on nged to su bows, a reinforcged at either side of ng between and havjusted positio e and arra 0W of a set of -shaped rod arran the sleeve and eXtendi the sleeve and permitting the free end of the strap to be inserted through the opening:r between the adjacent L-shaped rod and sleeve and held on said stud.

' JESSE R. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

D. W. REPLOGLE, T. G. HOCKETT. 

